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Generate Two Ready-for-Publication Short Stories in Six Weeks - SOLD OUT!

All-New Class Launch at ChuckPalahniuk.net

A recent survey of previous cult master class students revealed key areas of craft our students would like to tackle in an upcoming intensive class. In particular, conflict and dramatic arc drew a lot of votes. Next to that, survey respondents chose poetic elements in prose--the music of everyday language--as a preferred area of focus. A fair number also requested a class that would focus on finishing or resurrecting a previously unfinished story and shaping it into a final product, ready for print.

Art of the Short Story is a newly developed intensive six-week class that takes on all of these challenges and more. Students will be asked to register early and to submit an unfinished story prior to the start date. As many as six of these unfinished stories will be minutely critiqued prior to our first day, and those critiques will serve as cornerstone content for the class. Every student in the class will be challenged to shape his or her point-of-registration submission into a finished story during the class. Every student will be challenged to develop a second story, as well, from first seeds of inspiration to finished product.

This class will not be easy. It will highlight the "intensive" part of "cult intensive," for certain. But it's also going to be a lot of fun.

Key craft areas for each of our six weeks include:

Theme, Premise, and Story Argument

Dramatic Conflict: Finding the Stakes

Characterization: How your story people are shaped by experience and belief and how they show it.

Dialogue: Learn to make it ring true and what it should and should not do.

Story Arc: Where is this bus taking us? Will we be happy when we get there?

Start Date:January 3, 2011Limited Enrollment: Only 20 seats will be sold. Definite Goal: You will wrap up this workshop with two publishable short stories.Qualified Instructor: Learn from the Master Student and acrobatic synthesizer of craft knowledge. Mark Vanderpool (vigorous puppy) recruits our guest instructors and organizes all of our classes. He has apprenticed himself to every Cult Master Class Teacher we've played host to in the past and sponged up their knowledge and secrets like no other. A published poet and collegiate playwright prior to his days at The Cult, Mark is now becoming known for prose fiction. Consistent with his earliest job in radio, he also has the communication skills of a broadcast journalist. Mark will be critiquing your work and available for telephone consulations, as well.

Art of the Short Story is six weeks of adventure and learning experience you don't want to miss. The list price is $395, but the Early Bird Discount saves a whopping 25% through December 23rd, making your educational investment only $296.25 if you register right away. Hurry, as seats are limited to bring focus and allow for extensive critique. Make completed short stories part of your New Year's Resolution. Enter coupon code: resolution at checkout.

I took part in the first one [Zen Mind Beginning Fiction Course] and was very happy. The knowledge that Vig imparts is second to none, and he will exceed any expectations you might have.

There is nowhere else in the world where someone with his level of experience will give you one on one feedback for this kind of money.

If you are a person that thinks that you might be a good writer, but are unsure of how to get a story started or finished this is the workshop for you. If you are already an accomplished writer, it is also a great way to refresh some fundamentals and maybe pick up something new.

-Jason C., Conyers, Georgia

I've been writing for several years, but this past fall I took a Zen Mind Beginners course (despite the fact that I wouldn't have considered myself a "beginner" writer). I cannot really explain what the lecture, assignments and participation did for me as a writer, but I pumped out some of my best ever work while taking that course, and I'm still writing strong. I've also met some wonderful new writer friends who still keep me motived, even now that the course is long over.

I cannot begin to explain how much enjoyment I drew from the two workshops I was in (Zen Mind and Craig Clevenger). It surprised me how much interaction there was, how much feedback I received, and the overall positive, friendly and non-competitive environment they provided. It was a pleasure to exchange tips, feedback, to see how everyone responded to a prompt and learn from that. I definitely have noticed an improvement in my writing, and new awareness of elements that make it work or not. It was money well spent, time well spent. The workshops were intensive, yes, but that's what I expected. Right now I am almost certain that one of the stories I wrote for the Zen Workshop ("Exorcism") will get published in Fiction International (I am making some revisions). I am also in the process of finding other journals, but I'm sure more publications will result from what I produced during the two workshops.

-Liana V., McAllen, TX

Aside from learning at The Cult being the fastest and most complete ramp up into the skills you need to be a successful writer, it's also a breeding ground for writers from any level, to meet, share, and develop the friendships that KEEP you writing once you've started.

This would be the first and only place I'd send someone interested in really honing their skills as a writer.

-Sam Hawley, (Blinkjosie)
Gold Coast, Australia

Art of the Short Story is six weeks of adventure and learning experience you don't want to miss. The list price is $395, but the Early Bird Discount saves a whopping 25% through December 23rd, making your educational investment only $296.25 if you register right away. Hurry, as seats are limited to bring focus and allow for extensive critique. Make completed short stories part of your New Year's Resolution. Enter coupon code: resolution at checkout.

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